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Kaylah can’t see the path, but she knows where she’s going…

When a child is born blind or with low vision, it can leave a family feeling desperate and unable to cope.

“I cried for a whole year. I was so depressed. I couldn’t accept it and I wouldn’t go out of the house, and I didn’t want anyone to look at her. I was a mess.” – Jeanette, mum to 4-year-old Kaylah
But with your help, these mums and dads don’t have to be left feeling overwhelmed or alone.

Thanks to donors like you babies like Kaylah can grow up to do and be pretty much anything they want.

Your gift todaywill give families like Kaylah’s the skills and support they need to help their child develop into a happy and confident little person.

When Kaylah was five weeks old, Jeanette noticed that her daughter wasn’t following her with her eyes like her other two children had done

That first year was harrowing - filled with uncertainties, unanswered questions and extensive genetic testing before Kaylah was finally diagnosed with Leber’s congenital amaurosis – she is blind but has some light perception and can make out people and objects as shadows.

In the midst of all this uncertainty, Kaylah’s family was placed in contact with physiotherapists and early childhood educators at Vision Australia.

Kaylah was then taught how to carry out body movements that require the use of her larger muscles like sitting, standing and walking. These have all helped her to explore environments like her home and more recently, her pre-school all on her own.

Kaylah is a fast learner and her parents know how to encourage her to learn and develop these basic but very necessary skills.

As a result, this determined little four-year-old has mastered things like how to and use a spoon, how to throw and kick a ball and she now also gets around using her hot pink cane with confidence!

But we need your support today to continue to help families of babies who are blind or have low vision receive the advice, support, skills and training on day-to-day activities they need to build their child’s abilities and help them reach their potential

Kaylah has now also been introduced to braille so she can develop her grammar and literacy skills. At the moment Kaylah’s just pressing all the buttons, learning the pressure she has to put on it and at the same time developing her hand strength.

When children would normally scribble, Kaylah is on the brailler. As Jeanette said: “She knows I’m on my braille machine, and that you press these little buttons to write.”

Please donate today so we can continue to support families of children who are blind or have low vision, grow and develop into happy, healthy, confident children capable of living independent lives. Thank you.